Vapor electric apparatus.



W. R. WHITNEY.

VAPOR ELECTRIC APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED 001231.19.

1,023,286, Patented Apr. 16, 1912.

WITNESSES:

INVENTORZ i|liSP\.\ hi l3'ney,

- I v WWW Maiz- Am UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIS B. WHITNEY, OE SGHENECTADY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR T0 GENERAL ELEC-TRIO COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

vnron ELECTRIC APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Apr. 16, 1912.

Application filed October 31,-1904. Serial No. 230,684.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VVILLIS R. VHITNEY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Schenectady, county of Schenectady, State of New York, haveinvented certain new is to prevent the liquid in such a vesselfromcracking or breaking the walls thereof when the envelop or containingvessel is moved more or less violently about, as during transportation.so as to cause impact between the fluid and the walls of the vessel.

The features of novelty which characterize my invention I have pointedout with particularity in the appended claims. The invention itself,however, both as to its details of construction and mode of operation,will be better understood by reference to the following descriptiontaken in connection with the accompanying drawings which represent,partly in section, a mercury vapor rectifier embodying my invention.

The rectifier shown in the drawings is of a well known single-phase typeprovided with three main working electrodes and a starting electrode.These electrodes -are each mounted or carried in branches or arms of ahighly exhausted retaining vessel or envelop. This envelop, in theparticular form shown, has lateral branches or chambcrs l and 2,containing respectively the anodes 3 and 4: and a depending tubularchamber 5 filled with a body of mercury 6 constituting the negativeelectrode or oathode. Directly above the cathode the envelop of therectifier is of relatively large diameter and of considerable length asat 7. This portion of the envelop constitutes a condensing chamber forthe surplus mercury vapor generated during the operation of theapparatus.

For the purpose of starting, a depending pocket is formed in therectifier envelop and opens into theimain envelop adjacent to thecathode 6. This pocket is located, in the present instance, at the rearside of the rectifier and opens into it as indicated at 8.

This pocket is filled with mercury which, when caused to flowtemporarily into contact with the cathode, serves to start the apparatusin a well known manner. It is evident that if the apparatus be suddenlyinverted or otherwise roughly handled, as during transportation, themercury in the envelop will run rapidly from one end to the other andbring up with violence against the walls thereof. The shock thus causedis very apt to crack the envelop and particularly so if a contracted orother weak point in the vessel be thus subjected to the treatmentmentioned. To overcome this I provide the envelop with devices forovercoming the difliculty. Thus in the depending tubular member 5 Iplace a buffer or shock receiving device consisting of a rather longhelical spring 9 preferably of iron. This spring is completely submergedin the body of mercury 6 and is provided at its upper end with a cap 10which nearly fills a sect-ion of the tube 5 but is movable freelytherein. This spring and the cap 10, being of lower specific gravitythan the mercury, tend to float therein, so that in order to keep themsubmerged I provide stops consisting of indentations in the glass as at11 and 12.

If the apparatus be roughly handled so as to cause the mercury 6 to flowoutof and then violently back toward the mouth of the tube 5, it will bereceived by the resiliently mounted platform or cap 10, the force ofimpact being largely destroyed, damage to the receptacle at this pointis thus prevented.

In order to prevent damage to the walls of the chambers 1 and 2 coiledmetallic ribbons Band-14, consisting of metal strips coiled on edge, areheld in place in the respective chambers by suitable stops orindentations in the glass as at 15 for example. At the upper end of thecondensing chamber 7 I provide a similar helicoidal metal strip 16 forreceiving the shock of any mercury that may be precipitated into thisend of the chamber.

In order to lessen, if not entirely prevent the flow of mercury bodilyinto the condensing chamber, I provide, near the mouth thereof, aretaining lip or member 17 This member may be of metal such as iron andis of tubular shape so as to fit the condensing chamber. It is held inplace by indentations in the walls of the chamber as at 18,

19, 2O and'21. The upper edge of this tubuthe condensed mercury tricklesdown thewalls of the condensing chamber Ordinarily the loose fit betweenthe trough and the glass is such as to afford sufficient passageway forthe mercury. This condensed mercury then is afforded a passage throughthe openings such as 21 in the member 17 back to the cathode 6. Theforce of the flow of the condensed mercury is thus greatly broken andthe disturbing eflect upon the cathode is thus obviated.

'- If,.by roughhandling ofthe apparatus,

' the mercury forming the cathode 6 tends to flow into the condensingchamber, it is immediately stopped by the lip 17, and pracfrom itsnormal position.

ticallyalldanger to the condensing cham-e,

ber thereby prevented. Under unusual conditions, however, if themercury'gets by the barrier aflorded by the lip or member 17 it is takencare of by the resllient shock-receiving device'16.

What I laim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates, is:

1. "The combination of a fragile receiving or containing vessel, a bodyof fluid therein,

"a trough or lip for intercepting the fluid,

and one or more or lip. I

2. he combination of a fragile receiving or containing vessel, a body offluid therein, and a resilient member carrying a plate or openings insaid trough platform for intercepting the flow of fluid In wltnesswhereof'I have hereunto set my hand this 29th day of October, 1904.

WILLIS R. WHITNEY.

Witnesses: BENJAMIN B. HULL,

' HELEN ORFORD.

